Valve testing apparatus



Oct. 30, 1951 w. T. KOESTERING 2,573,646

VALVE TESTING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2, 1947 l 2 SHEETS-SHEET l v 7/ 2/ IN VEN T013.

- mwbaw 1951 w. T. kOESTERING 2,573,646

VALVE TESTING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2, 1947 I 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Tatented Oct. 30, 1951 VALVE TESTING APPARATUS Walte Ko s er ng, Bat le. Qr ela n eh as: signer to Eaton Manutacturing Company, CIeveland, Ohio, a corporationof QQhio Application January 2, 1947 Serial No. 719,905

' e-ea s- 13-5 2 This invention relates to poppet valves, and more particularly to a device for-testing the. sealing qualitiesnf the valves.

Broadly "the. invention comprehends the provision of {a mechanism for testingthe sealing qualities. a poppet valve will have relative to a valve seat therefor wherein .air under a given pressure issupplied to one side (of the valve and the amount that leakspast the cooperating portions of {the valve and valve seat is measured giving. an acourate. indicationof the sealing qualitiesof the valve.

, An object of the invention is the provision of a simple, expedient and economical device for testing the sealing quality of poppet valves.

Another object of the invention is the provision o means mp oy a der pressure for test n r he al n apa i iti s of valv s- A further object of the invention is the pro-1 v s on of a p e sur p ar us for ch ck n th sealinequali ypi valve A v n tl ie b ec th i v o is t e p ovision of means for testing the seats of valves for sealing efficiencywherein a valve to be tested is subjected under simulated operating conditions to air under a predetermined pressure and the arnount of air that leaks past the sealing surface of the valve and associated valve seat is measured so as to give avisual means of deter-e mining-the sealing qualities of the valve.

. Qther objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, formin a part otthelspecification; and in which: ,4 FiQgQl is "a side plan view of an apparatus for testing the sealing quality of valve seats, and v Fig.2 is a vertical cross sectional view taken along lines 22 Fig. 1. 'i'lhe instant invention was devised for the purpos of providing means for simply, quickly, accurately and economically testing the sealing quality of poppet valves for internal combustion valves. The principle here employed is the placingof the valves to be tested in an apparatus simulating engine seating and valve guide supporting position and then delivering into a sealed chamber above the valve head, air at a predetermined pressure and then measuring the amount oflthe air that leaks past the seating surface of.

the eh ted it e sQ e ed e t- T am untoi air leakageris read uponanappropriate.;,scale that is graduated inacqordance with-the valve tests and therebyindicates the. accepted errejected estate of the valves as pertains vtot-valve seatingoualities. By. the provision of. .the pres: ent machinecand method employed thereby. itis. possible; to do. away with the. previous require: ment of indicating the seatingv surface ,of' the valves for concentricity and also eliminates any need for 'lbluing :the. seating surface .to make -.sure' the seat is round and freeof ,fiat spots. Furthere more the valve seating surfacescan be ground with .arougher. finish and still producev avalve acceptable for engine operational use.

Referring to the drawings for more specific d8:- tails ,of the apparatusemplWed and method uti-. lized; thereby in .carryingout the intent .of the invention i0 refers generally to a fixture for test.- ing. engine. poppet valves for theirsealing quali.-. ties.

The fixture I0 l2 adapted to be bolted :or otherwise. suitably secured to .a workbench, not-shown, a valve seating member I! fixedly secured ina bore l v6 of body l2, including'a radially extended portion! and an axially extendedportion 2-0, said memberv idhave inga pair of taperedconcentric bores 22. and 24 therethrough the purpose of which will herein: after appear.

Y Thebody 2 i pr vided with shear ng upport: ing upright 26 integral therewith vupon which is p vot d at a po io 28 a le r arran ement 38 hav ng-p v t l y sec ed a on nd 3; thereof a head member it that isadapted to cooperate conoentricallyv with seating member I .4 and vat its other end 36 a link -.38, said link in turn being secure a it ron end t a lever 40 p ta y secured upon a shaft 42 journalled in framework 2.6. The. shaft 42 hasvsecured at one end thereof outsideof bearing in the framework a manually actuable lever arm the purpose of which will hereinafter appear.

The head member 34 includes an axially extended portion ,46 that is adjustably secured upon a cross-bar 48 pivotally securing the head to lever 30, and a radial portion 50 that is adapted to (30-. operate with seating member [4. The member 34 provided with a stepped bore 52 therein sup: porting a central axially movable spring ten? timed .plunserr am 4 an .e reum erentiel comprise a hollow bodyportion' between.

3 sealing ring 56 eifective to seat upon the upper surface of member l4 so as to provide an air? tight seal therebetween. V The bore 24 of member I4 is adapted to receive in press-fitted relation therein a valve guide 58 having a central opening 60 therethrough simulating the type of guide in which the valve is adapted to be supported during operational use and the bore 22 simulates a valve seat such as the valve seat with which the valve to be tested is associated. The guide 56 has arranged in one end of the opening 66 a spring pressed plunger 62 the purpose of which will hereinafter appear.

The member [4 is provided with air passages 64 in the radial portion thereof wherein a conduit 66 from an air pressure source, not shown, is coupled to the inlet of passages 64 and the passages have an outlet in the upper surface such that when the head member 30 is in closed re- The radial portion l8 of member 30 1s also pro-.

air leaking past the valve and exhibited thereon immediately establishes the condition of the valve as to whether or not it is acceptable for use. With the completion of a testing operation the valve is partially ejected by the spring plunger 62 when the head 34 is released upon manual actuation of the lever mechanism controlling movement of head, and the valve that has been tested is removed from the test fixture. Simultaneously with the release of the head 34 from sealing position with member I4 the air under pressure is shut off. The fixture is then in readiness for the insertion and testing of subsequent valves of a like nature and size as valves with which the member l4 provides proper associated sealing and guiding relation. This completes a, testing opera- 7 'tion cycle.

vided with an air exhaust passage 10 communieating with bore 24 adjacent the entrance to bore 22 and also communicating byway ofconduit 12 with a leakage recording gauge 14.

Ina normal operation of apparatus [0 and processemployed thereby a poppet valve 16 of conventional design including a mushroom shaped head lilpand stem-80 is inserted in' the bores. 22 and 24 of member [4 and in the opening 60 of guide 58 and is adapted tobe guided thereby asunder normal operating conditions with the end of stem in abuttingrelation upon spring pressed plunger 62 such that when the valve to be tested is held in a position off of valve seat 82 formed by bore 22. With the valveinserted in the guide the lever 44 is manipulated from dotted line position to full line position as shown by Fig. 1 resulting in actuating lever 46 secured to shaft 42, link 38, and lever 30 resulting in'moving the head 34 from dotted line position to full line'position in sealing cooperation with member I4 so as to provide the sealed chamber 68 there- The movement of lever 40. through the action of lever 44 is limited-in one direction by a stop mechanism 84 which is adapted to be engaged by an adjusting screw secured to free end 86 of lever 46,- thereby effectively resisting movement of manually operable lever 44 beyond a, predeter minedrdesired point. r V

Simultaneously with the clamping-of head 34 to scaling position upon member 14 with sealing ring in effective sealing relation thereto the plunger 54 abuts the upper head portion of valve 16' forcing the valve to seated sealing po'sition on seat 82 and resiliently maintains the valve upon the seat with a force simulating normal spring sealing pressure for said valve tested.

. concomitantly with the sealing of head 34upo'n member 14 through the action of lever 44, the lever operates to actuate valve mechanism, not shown, permitting of'the delivery of air under a predetermined pressure from a source, not shown, by way of conduit 66 and air passages 64 to chamber 68. Upon the admission of air under pressure to chamber 68, the head of the valve is subjected to the air under pressure and is held to its seated position. The sealing quality of the valve is then determined by measuring the amount of air leaking pastthe valve and valve seat on gauge 14 provided for said purpose. The gauge: is so predeterminedly graduated that thequantity 0f While this invention has been described in connection with certain specific embodiments,-the principle involved is susceptible of numerous other applications that will readily occur to persons skilled in the art. The invention, therefore, is limited only as indicated by'the scope of the appended claims. a

What I claim is:

l. A fixture for checking the sealing qualities of valves comprising a body member having a central opening therethrough providing separate valve seating and guiding means therein, resilient means for normally holding a valve to be tested ofi the seating surface when inserted in the opening of the body, a closure member adapted to be arranged upon the upper surface of the body member in sealing engagement therewith when the valve is inserted in the opening having a resilient plunger for abutting and holding the valve to be tested under simulated seating operating conditions upon the seating surface and forming a chamber between the top of the valve head and the closure member, a controlled air pressure source communicating withthe chamber and an air leakage measuring device communicating with the central opening in the body between the valve guiding and seating means. 7

2. A fixture for checking the sealing quality of valves'comprising a body member having a separate valve seating and guiding means therein, resilient means for normally holding a valve to be tested off the seating surface when inserted in the opening of the body member, a closure member adapted to be arranged upon the upper surface of the body member'in sealing engagement therewith when the valve is inserted in the ope ning having a resilient plunger for abutting and holding the valve to be tested under simulated seating operating conditions upon the valve seating surface and forming a chamber between the upper side of the valve and the closure member,

a controlled air pressure source communicating with the chamber, and an air gauge for measuring the air leakage past the valve seating surface;

3; A fixture forchecking the sealing qualities of poppet valves comprising a body member including a valve seating and valve stem guiding means therein, a pivotally mounted closure memberadapted to seal upon the head portion of the body and form a chamber between itself and the valve seating means, said closure having a resilient mechanism therein adapted to impose a load on the valve when in seated testing position simu-' latingseating operating conditions, a controlled source of air under a predeterminedpressure that is delivered to the chamber and means "communicating internallyof the body between the seating means and I guiding means for measuring the WALTER T. KOESTERING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Number Harpst Apr. 13, 1920 Number 10 Number Name Date Coleman Apr. 20, 1920 Butler Nov. 15, 1927 Justice Feb. 26, 1929 Fleming June 17, 1930 Bradford Aug. 20, 1940 Graves Apr. 19, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Apr. 24, 1933 

